Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University cross country teams open championship season Saturday, traveling to Mechanicsville, Virginia, for the 2026 Betterment Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championships.
MEET INFORMATION
2026 Betterment Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championships
October 31, 2026 | 10:00 AM | Pole Green Park (Mechanicsville, Va.)
Watch Live on ESPN+ |
Live Results
Duquesne Notes |
Championship Central
Women's 6K | Men's 8K
LINEUPS & NOTES
Season Results: Men | Women
- Women's Team: Six of 10 runners have A10 Championship experience, with four making their debuts, including true freshmen Ashcroft and Caldwell ... Kashak and Lucas are the only returning scorers from 2025 ... No runner has competed in more than one A10 Championship race
- Emma Andreen - Sr. / Pittsburgh, Pa. / 6K PR: 23:28.8 at RMU last season
- Second A10 Championship (23:39.8 last season, 99th) ... Four races in 2026, team leader with a 5K PR at CMU ... Two 6K races this season with a best of 24:06.7 last race at UVA.
- Elise Ashcroft - Fr. / Moon Township, Pa. / 6K PR: 24:16.8 last race at UVA
- True freshman competing in first A10 Championship ... Last race at UVA was first career 6K ... Scored in both 5K races - National Catholic Invitational (2nd) and Louisville (4th).
- Cydney Blahovec - Sr. / Youngwood, Pa. / 6K PR: 22:57.3 at RMU last season
- Second A10 Championship (24:14.4 last season, 115th) ... Four races in 2026 ... 24:41.2 in lone 6K race at UVA ... Had a 5K PR at National Catholic Invitational.
- Ava Brewster - Jr. / Butler, Pa. / 6K PR: 22:33.5 at RMU last season
- First A10 Championship ... Four races this season (one 6K at UVA with a 24:00.4).
- Hailey Caldwell - Fr. / Silver Spring, Md. / 6K PR: 24:06.3 last race at UVA
- True freshman competing in first A10 Championship ... Last race at UVA was first career 6K ... Second scorer (7th overall) in first career race at SFU (4K) ... Scored in three of four races (SFU, National Catholic Invitational, Louisville) ... Was an All-State runner at St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C.
- Lauren Ciuca - So. / Vandergrift, Pa. / 6K PR: 21:56.2 at RMU last season
- Second A10 Championship (23:51.3 last season, 105th) ... Scored in three of four races this season ... 23:36.9 in lone 6K race at UVA as second scorer ... Second on team at Louisville, third (8th overall) at SFU.
- Sylvia Kashak - So. / Jefferson Hills, Pa. / 6K PR: 22:12.3 at RMU last season
- Second A10 Championship (leading returning runner, was second scorer with a 22:27.2, 53rd overall) ... Team leader in all four races this season ... Individual champion at SFU (4K), 15th overall at National Catholic Invitational, ran a 5K personal best at Louisville (71st overall), team leader with 23:36.9 (87th) at lone 6K of season at UVA ... Set multiple Duquesne track & field records as a freshman, earned A10 All-Rookie honors in both indoor and outdoor track & field.
- Kendall Lucas - So. / Pittsburgh, Pa. / 6K PR: 22:58.8 at Paul Short Run last season
- Second A10 Championship (5th scorer on team last season with a 23:26.1, 92nd) ... One of two returning scorers from last season's A10 meet ... Four races this season (24:26.2 in lone 6K this season at UVA) ... Fifth scorer at SFU (10th overall) … Former HS teammate (North Allegheny) of Elizabeth Pizon.
- Elizabeth Pizon - So. / Franklin Park, Pa. / 6K PR: 23:45.2 at NCAA Regional last season
- Second A10 Championship (23:48.3 last season, 103rd) ... Ran 24:24.9 in lone 6K this season at UVA ... Team's fifth scorer twice (National Catholic Invitational & Louisville) ... Scored in PR run at NCAA regional last season as a true freshman … Former HS teammate (North Allegheny) of Kendall Lucas.
- Grace Senneway - Jr. / McMurray, Pa. / 6K PR: 23:53.8 last race at UVA
- First A10 Championship ... Last race at UVA was first career 6K ... Charted 4K (SFU) and 5K (back-to-back at National Catholic Invitational & Louisville) PRs this season ... Scored in all four races this season (third scorer three times).
- Men's Team: Return four of five scorers from last season's A10 Championships ... Seven of 10 runners have championship racing experience ... Bonnar, Ciecierski, Shields and Stewart set to compete in their third career A10 race ... True freshmen Cubbison, Olsen and Yurasko make conference debuts
- Jacob Bonnar - Jr. / Gibsonia, Pa. / 8k PR: 25:50.9 this season at National Catholic Invitational
- Third A10 Championship (26:33.1, 111th last year ... 26:55.0, 126th in 2024) ... Four races this season with a PR at National Catholic Invitational.
- Brendan Burns - So. / New Castle, Pa. / 8k PR: 25:49.6 this season at National Catholic Invitational
- Second A10 Championship (26:09.0, 91st last year) ... Four races this season with an 8K PR at National Catholic Invitational and 6K PR at SFU ... Scored last season as a true freshman in the NCAA regional race.
- Anthony Ciecierski - Jr. / Cleveland Heights, Ohio / 8k PR: 25:08.3 this season at National Catholic Invitational
- Third A10 Championship (25:34.4, 70th and second DU scorer last year ... 25:37.7, 77th in 2024) ... Four races this season, scored in three (second on team twice, including last race at UVA) ... PR at National Catholic Invitational ... Was second scorer at both championship races in 2025.
- Reese Cubbison - Fr. / Lewistown, Pa. / 8k PR: 25:40.4 this season at Louisville Classic
- True freshman competing in first A10 Championship ... Four races this season ... Fifth scorer (7th overall) in first career race (6K) at SFU ... Was 13th overall at PA class 3A state championships last year as senior from Mifflin County HS.
- Sam Freedman - Jr. / Lancaster, Pa. / 8k PR: 25:03.6 at RMU last season
- Second A10 Championship (26:24.0, 104th last year) ... Scored in all four races this season ... Second DU finisher at Louisville with a season-best 8K at 25:09.6 ... Fifth scorer last race at UVA (26:32.2) ... Was 6th overall at SFU.
- Liam Kirkpatrick - So. / Chambersburg, Pa. / 8k PR: 25:23.0 this season at National Catholic Invitational
- Second A10 Championship ... Scored in two of three races this season ... Set a PR at National Catholic Invitational as team's fifth scorer ... Also scored as 4th DU finisher last race at UVA ... 9th overall at SFU.
- Jude Olsen - Fr. / Holland, Pa. / 8k PR: 25:51.1 this season at Louisville Classic
- True freshman competing in first A10 Championship ... Team leader at RMU ... PR 8K at Louisville ... Council Rock South HS graduate, placed 31st at PA class 3A championships last year.
- Ben Shields - Jr. / St. Clairsville, Ohio / 8k PR: 24:25.6 this season at Louisville Classic
- Third A10 Championship (two-time scorer for DU ... team leader last season with 24:57.7 in 42nd ... third scorer in 2024 with 25:08.9 in 48th) ... Team leader in 10 straight races (all four competed this season, plus all six ran in last season) ... Individual champion at SFU (first career meet title), top 30 overall in three of four races this year.
- Mason Stewart - Sr. / Uniontown, Pa. (Chaminade Univ.) / 8k PR: 25:21.6 this season at National Catholic Invitational
- Third A10 Championship (two-time scorer for DU ... 26:03.2, 88th last season ... 25:26.3, 64th in 2024) ... Three races this season (PR at National Catholic Invitational) ... Scored twice this season (4th at Notre Dame & Louisville) ... Transfer from Chaminade after freshman season where he won two meets.
- Evan Yurasko - Fr. / Pittsburgh, Pa. / 8k PR: 25:24.9 this season at National Catholic Invitational
- True freshman competing in first A10 Championship ... Scored in three of four races ... Finished 4th overall (3rd on team) in collegiate debut at SFU ... Fifth scorer at Louisville, third on team last race at UVA.
ATLANTIC 10 WEEKLY HONORS
DUQUESNE AT 2025 A10 CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Men's Team Finish: 12th (of 13)
- Scorers: 4 returning / 1 lost
- Shields (42), Ciecierski (70), de la Riva (76), Kirkpatrick (79), Stewart (88)
- Women's Team Finish: 12th (of 14)
- Scorers: 2 returning / 3 lost
- Bolla (33), Kashak (53), Saum (61), Trevenen (66), Lucas (92)
A10 CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
- Men's Best Team Finish: 1st (2005)
- Top Individual: Rico Galasso (1st - 2016), Tom Slosky (1st - 2007)
- Women's Best Team Finish: 1st (2013, '14, '20)
- Top Individual Haley Hamilton (3rd - 2024), Valerie Palermo (3rd - 2016), Emily Beahan (3rd - 2007), Carrie Hucko (3rd - 2002), Sarah Como (3rd - 2000)
- Top-Five Team Finishes: Men - 18 in 48 championships (last: 4th in 2017) ... Women - 17 in 37 championships (last: 5th in 2024)
- All-Conference Finishes: Men - 41 (last: Zach Toth, 11th in 2023) ... Women - 29 (last: Haley Hamilton, 3rd in 2024)
- A10 Most Outstanding Rookie honorees: Women - 4: Valerie Palermo (2013), Danica Snyder (2011), Sarah Como (2000) and Wendy Beaver (1991, inaugural award winner) ... Men - 2: Rico Galassi (2014) and Darby Reed (1991, inaugural award winner)
UP NEXT
Duquesne travels to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional on Nov. 13 at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.
FOLLOW THE DUKES
Follow Duquesne Cross Country all season online at GoDuquesne.com, as well as on X, Instagram, and Facebook (@DuqXCTF).
